We were able to get a chance to review Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles. I was hyped about this game because I have been wondering what it would be like to play the game that’s based on the anime. Let’s find out together how it is.
Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles takes us into the world of the story and be immersed in the experience. The story mode follows the story closely from when Tanjiro did his training in the mountains.
You get to explore areas of the game in a 3D environment while your character is in this 2D/3D stylized model. Each area you explore has a collectible that you can pick up. You can either pick up Kimetsu points or Memory Fragments. The Kimetsu points can be used to buy items that will let you customize your profile. While the Memory Fragments are videos that you can watch of the stories in the game which is also similar to moments from the anime.
The areas are in the story mode are divided into Chapters. With each Chapter pertaining to a story in the Demon Slayer anime. I have not read the manga but assuming that the anime came from the manga then I would say the game itself closely follows the story from the manga as well. While you are exploring, you will also encounter enemies that you will have to fight in a Versus Arcade mode type of battle. The controls in battle are similar to that when you’re playing a versus game. You have your light attack, skill attack and an ultimate. In the story mode, when you are fighting enemies, once their HP meter goes down to 10% a button trigger prompts on the screen allowing you to finish off the enemy in one action.
Combining the light attack and skill attack with the directional button will cause your character to attack differently. Letting you do combos and attacks unique to the character. The boost meter that is used to activate your Ultimate gets filled up by attacking your opponent. Once it reaches a level, you can then use the boost points to either boost up your attacks or unleash your Ultimate. The Ultimate for the story mode doesn’t get unlock until in later chapters.
I really love what they did with the battles here because it really feels like you’re reliving the battle scenes in the story. It’s very fast paced and action oriented and the Ultimates were designed to shock and awe. Your main character in the story mode is Tanjiro as he goes through the story but along the way you will meet other characters who will join you in battle.
If you have an ally joining you in battle, they can come to your aid by pressing the L1 button. Pressing the button when someone attacks you calls them to attack for you for a few seconds but if you hold the button it will allow you to switch with your ally.
Going through the story mode also unlocks characters for you that you can use in the other modes. You can use these unlocked characters in the Versus Mode. The Versus Mode has two types, either you play it online or local with a friend. Online Mode lets you either play the Normal matches or the Ranked matches. The Ranked Matches tests your skill against opponents around the world that will get you rank points to increase your rank globally, letting the world know how good you are at this game.
For a versus game, there is only a limited number of characters that you can play as but I understand it’s probably because it is limited to the stories it covers. However, I am hoping they will add more characters in the future and possibly expand the story of the game as well. As of now though the characters that you can play have similar fighting styles so it lacks variety that you can play with.
I have not experienced any issues while playing the online mode but my only problem is there’s probably not a lot of people playing the game as it was difficult getting to any matches. It takes awhile to get into a battle.
Training Mode lets you basically practice against each of the playable characters. There are 10 ranks that you can clear for each character you face. Each rank increases the difficulty of the enemy you are facing. It’s really the best place for you to practice your combos and skills. Allowing you to unleash everything you know about the game all the while also getting points for it.
The animation and graphics of this game is on point to that of the anime. So I have no complaints in that area. It is really fun seeing the anime in this way. It brings about a nostalgia as to when I have watched the anime and it gives you a whole new perspective to it.
The Deluxe Content unlocks new characters and costumes for your characters. It also unlocks avatars that you can use with your profile. The characters it unlocks are different versions of the main characters each with their own unique ultimates. The ultimates are really fun and hilarious to watch so I would say it is worth to get the deluxe edition if you’re really a big fan.
Overall, Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles is a fun and immersive game for fans of the anime and manga. The battles are fun and very engaging and it’s something that anyone could truly enjoy. I recommend this game for fans of the anime and manga or anyone who is into versus arcade battles.